Facebook content moderators in Kenya have taken legal action against Meta, the parent company of Facebook, and two outsourcing firms, for what they believe to be unlawful redundancy.
The 43 applicants claim that they lost their jobs for organizing a union and were subsequently blacklisted from applying for similar roles at another outsourcing firm after Facebook switched contractors.
Meta has filed an appeal in Kenya challenging a ruling that allowed it to be sued in a separate lawsuit brought by a moderator over poor working conditions, despite having no official presence in the country.
The outcome of these court cases could have significant implications for how Meta works with content moderators worldwide, as the company employs thousands of moderators around the globe to review graphic content posted on its platform.
Technology rights group Foxglove is supporting the latest lawsuit and has accused Meta of carrying out a union-busting operation disguised as a mass redundancy.
Meta, Majorel, and Sama, the outsourcing firms involved in the case, have not yet provided a response to requests for comment.
Earlier this year, Sama informed 260 content moderators working at Facebook’s moderation hub in Nairobi that they would be made redundant. The moderators claim that Meta instructed Majorel not to hire any moderators previously employed by Sama, which they argue is an unlawful redundancy as no genuine or justifiable reason was given for the job losses.
The moderators have received varying and confusing explanations for their redundancy, leading them to seek legal action against the companies involved.
As this case unfolds, it is likely that the global workforce of content moderators employed by Meta will be paying close attention to the outcome, as it could impact their own job security and working conditions.
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